Quill pen, 19th century

Quills were used by staff and customers alike.  Clerks had to demonstrate good penmanship before being offered a position at the bank.

Most quill pens were made from goose feathers.  Swan feathers were scarcer and so more expensive while for fine lines crow feathers were deemed the best. Quills from a bird's left wing were generally preferred since these turned naturally away from a right-handed writer.